Cancer Program Annual Report

2014 Cancer Program Annual Report

2014 was another year of growth at the Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at Centennial Medical Center (CMC), where nearly 2,000 patients with cancer were diagnosed or treated with state-of-the-art facilities and services. The Cancer Center is home to the best and brightest healthcare professionals, dedicated to providing world-class cancer care.

The Thoracic Program now has a dedicated Nurse Navigator that uses the Sarah Cannon navigation software to coordinate care and monitor outcomes. The Lung Nodule Program is being used to identify potential asymptomatic lung cancers in patients who have chest CTs completed in the Emergency Department. In addition, TCMC now offers low-dose spiral CT Lung Cancer Screening to individuals at high risk, and is looking forward to the results of the United States Preventive Services Task Force review to support lung cancer screening as an insured health cost.

Quality studies investigated issues across disciplines. In 2014, the Cancer Registry reviewed and improved on techniques to code sentinel lymph node biopsies, a key quality indicator in management of early stage breast cancer. The causes of wait times in the Ambulatory Infusion Center were examined, and several improvements are in progress to streamline care and improve communication between the clinic and physician offices.

Patient support is critical to their cancer care, and several expressive therapies are now offered. Many patients have commented on the greater calm and focus they felt after participating in art classes. Our chaplain offers weekly sessions to help patients, their caregivers and our medical staff members manage the complex emotions that surround living with or caring for someone with a cancer diagnosis.

The Cancer Center is also home to the Sarah Cannon Center for Blood Cancers (SCCBC) for patients undergoing autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantations. The SCCBC has become a premier program caring for patients from throughout the region and its success helps frame standards for HCA’s national network of transplant centers. The number of transplants is growing, and a record number of new clinical trials are being offered in collaborations with the Sarah Cannon Research Institute.

This combination of first-rate facilities and services, together with outstanding people committed to helping others with cancer, has helped make Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at Centennial a premier place for cancer care in our community.